MACHINA Syndicate
"Frankly, other than the fact that they want to kill every man, woman and child out there, we know nothing about them. We've tagged them Locusts since this degree of death has only been seen in times of plague. They're subterranean in nature. That's obvious. Aside from that, I'm afraid..." — An unidentified human scientist dubbing the name of the Locust Horde The Locust Horde, often called the Locust Army by humans and the Horde by the Locusts themselves, are a race of reptilian humanoids that, until Emergence Day, have lived in and established their civilization in the subterranean regions of Sera, known as the Hollow. It is unknown for how long the Locust Horde had lived in the Hollow, but it has come to be understood through deciphered texts that the Locusts waged a genocidal war against another sentient species on their planet that evolved on the surface of Sera (simply referred to as humans), and came out victorious. Due to this victory, the Locusts were able to claim the surface of the planet as their own, but for what reason they chose to leave the Hollow behind is unknown. The Hollow under Mount Kadar was established as the Locust capital, known as Nexus. The Locust Horde consists of a common race of Drones, and all manner of other creatures, that were indigenous to the Hollow. The majority of the Horde's technology was stolen or salvaged from what the humans dumped, or reverse engineered from their enemies' technology. However, the Locust Horde are able to develop some of their own technology, including small-arms weapons, heavy weapons, armor for use on their tamed beasts, munitions, architecture, and they had a considerable grasp of computer technology. The Locusts' small-arms weaponry appear to be at around the same level as that of the humans that used to inhabit the planet, although the Locusts' arsenal seemed to be more biologically based (at least until first contact with the Vaktovian Empire). Locust troops will use nearly any weapon, whether it is one of their own design, reverse-engineered technology, or alien-made. Physiology A typical Locust is a hulking brute of a creature, almost seven feet tall, although many are larger. They are bipedal, muscular creatures with tough skin. They are considerably more bulky than a normal human and notably stronger. Their bones are heavier and show signs of extensive thickening. Grenadiers show further toughening and occasionally scarification, which appears to further toughen the Grenadiers' flesh. Locust blood is a deep reddish-orange in coloration. A Locust has multiple internal organs, as hinted by hearing multiple heartbeats from a given Locust when they run or are at critical health. Locust require oxygen, though they seem somewhat more resistant to environmental hazards, most likely due to their harsh native environment. Locust have large eyes with good depth perception in spite of the fact that they are a subterranean race. They have a noted vulnerability to flash overcompensation response (flash-blindness), a weakness many offset with polarized goggles or blinders. Some subspecies have particularly strong eyesight; it is strongly hinted that Locust can see perfectly in total darkness, and most seem to possess superior senses of smell. Berserkers are the only known female Locust. The only known method of Locust reproduction is the mating of a Berserker and a Drone; It is theorized that locust reproduce by tying the female down (to prevent the blind female from killing her mate) and having the male REDACTED her. Though there is no evidence to support this theory. History Origins UNKNOWN Society and Culture The Locust Horde is a patriarchal society divided into multiple castes. The Locust Hordes' hierarchy, society and social class system is very similar to and can be compared with a bee hive. The King is the head of the entire Locust Horde, and leads it in advancement, improvement and steadily increasing its size and power. The only known class of the Kantus monks are led by a High Priest. The Kantus monks follow a strict religious code. The lower classes of the Horde are willing to die for the King, however there are field officers that are of higher intelligence, strength, intellect, and power than the standard foot soldiers, and lead the Hordes' military into battle. This class is an organization known as the Theron Guard. There are also the Palace Guards, whose members are the defensive counterpart to the members of the Theron Guard. The officers of the Palace Guard are the most powerful, decorated and accomplished Drones in the Hordes' military, and are charged with the defense of the King's Palace and of the King himself. Ranking System * King * Ketor (High Priest) * Uzil (High General) * Zamil (General) * Vold (Lieutenant) * Krav (Captain) * Vurl (Sergeant) * Maag (Private) Known Variants While Locust texts do refer to other, yet unseen variants of the species, a large variety of Drones have been documented by those unfortunate to encounter them on the ground, including: * Drones - The standard foot soldiers and pilots of the Horde, none of these beasts are to be trifled with, as even a single one can put up a difficult fight. They tend to rush blindly into combat in an attempt to prove themselves to their superiors and fellow Locusts. * Grenadiers - Similar to the Drones, the Grenadiers tend to be more heavily armored, and use heavier weaponry such as the Lancer or Gnasher. More skillful than a typical Locust, Grenadiers will often put heavy pressure on enemies through various, and even complex, forms of engagement. They may sometimes lead anywhere from 2 to 4 Drones into combat, whether on the ground or in the air. * Locust Snipers - The tried and true marksmen of the Locust Horde, these Drones have proven themselves in combat more than once, and have shown themselves to be excellent sharpshooters and scouts. They are dressed in similar garb as the Grenadiers and standard Drones, the key difference being the goggles they sport on their head, although for what purpose the equipment serves is still unknown. * Locust Hunters - The greatest ground and air combatants the Horde has to offer, these hardened veterans of the Locusts sport a large headcrest and often wield the deadly Torque Bow with unparalleled accuracy. They are seen leading large squadrons of fighters in space combat and anywhere from 4 to 8 Drones or Grenadiers on the ground, and will employ cunning tactics that are sure to give their enemies a nasty surprise. * Theron Guard - The elite of the Locust Horde, the Theron Guard are utilized as officers and specialists in all engagements, making efficient use of devastating weaponry such as the Torque Bow or Boomshot, and sometimes will even commandeer a vehicle to wreak havoc on the King's enemies. While they typically serve as elite pilots during head-on engagements in space, they have been known to command smaller capital ships and even fleets. When a squad of Theron are put into play, the battle can be an assured victory. * Theron Sentinel - The renowned officers of the Theron Guard, these are the most cunning and intelligent warriors to serve the King. Usually commanding large fleets, capital ships, and ground assaults, the Theron Sentinels are truly a devastating contender to meet anywhere. If spotted, it can be assumed that they are directly following the orders of the King himself. * King of the Locust Horde - The feared King of the mighty Locust Horde, few have ever truly seen him with their own eyes, instead many only know him through his devastating flagship and fleet, which travels the galaxy planet by planet, conquering and claiming new territory for the Horde. Those lucky enough to escape with their life after seeing him in person describe the King as a hulking, yet clearly intelligent, demon that is clad in pearlescent armor and leads hundreds or even thousands of troops into a single battle at a time. Religion The Locust species are presumably highly religious, often seen praying, chanting, and constructing large temples in their colonies, however their religion's texts and its history are largely contained within designated scrolls that are safeguarded by the Locust Priests on their homeworld of Sera, so not much of it has been deciphered by outsiders. Writing System The Locust have their own writing system, which is referred to as Locust Runes. The system consists of symbols which represent individual letters and ideograms that represent full words. The writing system's alphabet contains 26 symbols for 26 letters. The numbering system contains 10 numbers that is represented by 10 symbols. There is also a computerized version of the Locust writing system, which could be seen on Locust computer terminals. These symbols are cleaner and more identifiable than the handwritten symbols. The most notable examples of the computerized Locust alphabet are found on the Locust computer terminals and the Locust Invasion Map. As for the relationship with human languages and writing systems, it was unknown if the Locust pronounced their symbols in any way related to human languages/writing systems. For what was known about the relationship between the Locust's language and writing system and the humans, there were 21 confirmed ideograms that represented human words. Calendar System The Locust have their own calendar system, which is based on Imulsion flowing through the Hollows. Within the calendar system, there are 12 seasons, each with opposites. * King-Imulsion * Fire-Water * Drone-Human * Leviathan-Kryll * Danger-Secure * Nemacyst-Seeder Standards and Symbols The Locust Horde have many objects to represent their society, culture and religion, as well as their people. The Kings have their own symbols, in which all members of their Guard always carry with them. Architecture and Infrastructure The Locust Horde's infrastructure is largely composed of what appears to be stone and brick. Some of the structures that are built include Reaver Pens, torture sections for captured enemies, aqueduct systems, dams, bridges and roads. Military Tactics and Strategies Despite the Drone's tendency to blindly charge into battle, the Locust are far from mindless in battle, employing cunning and resourcefulness to win just as much as sheer brutality and mercilessness. The assumption that the Locust are little more than mindless beasts greatly hindered the Ninazu and Vaktovian forces, as well as presumably the humans that once lived on Sera's surface. While the individual Drone's intelligence was questionable, prominent Locust commanders have displayed great cunning and strategy. The Locusts most infamous tactic is the usage of Emergence Holes, or E-Holes. They are used deliver their forces directly into battle. E-Holes, in addition to quickly delivering forces, have a heavy psychological affect on enemies since they allow the Locust to attack nearly anywhere at any time without warning.